s, expecting to see you all as happy
as can be, I find my boy--no, I can't say _my_ boy if you behave like
this--has been as naughty as ever he could be."

"Oh, no, Pa," cried the Skipper, that is to say, nearly cried the
Skipper, for his voice sounded a little shaky; "that's not half so
naughty as I could be if I tried."

The Skipper stared in wonder, for as he said this, the big sailor
suddenly uttered a peculiar sound, swung himself round with the bag and
parcels flying out, and stood with his back to him, upon one leg,
lifting the other up and down, with the toe just touching the ground
from time to time.

As for Captain Trevor, the Skipper saw that he had squeezed his lips
together, wrinkled up his face, and frowned heavily.

"Oh! please, Pa dear," whispered Dot, tightening her arms round his
neck, "don't be cross with poor Bob. He was very sorry. Weren't you,
Bob?"

"Yes, I was sorry," said the boy repentantly, but without taking his
eyes off the big sailor, whose leg was still going up and down like one
of the engines on board his father's ship.

"But I must be angry with him, my darling," said the Captain gravely.
"Bob knows better; if he does such things now and does not check them,
he will grow into a bully, and disgrace himself."

This was said at the Skipper, whose face was very red, from his efforts
to keep back his tears.

"Oh! Pa dear!" cried Dot.

"Hush! my darling," said the Captain. "Here, Jeffs!"

"Ay, ay, sir!" roared the big sailor, as if he were speaking in a
storm; and he swung round again, with his packages flying out, like the
governor balls of the ship's engine.

[Illustration: "_'Jack Robinson' saluted the little Skipper and Dot._"]

"Did you bring that breech-loading cannon?"

"Ay, ay, sir!" said the sailor, holding up the hand which held the
parcels.

"And the brass anchor?"

"Ay, ay, sir!" and the hand was lifted again.

"And I told you to buy a coil of well-laid cable."

"Ay, ay, sir!--best fishing-line. In my 'at, sir."

"Right then; you can take them back: they will not be wanted."

"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the man, but not so loudly and sharply; and he
gazed now at the Skipper, who looked back at him in his misery; and
strive how he would, he could not keep back one little tear, which
squeezed itself out of his left eye and tickled his cheek very much, as
it slowly ran down.

Poor little Dot was not so strong, but still she was brave, for she
made no sound, while